A Sphinx Word
by St3phP33l
Summary: Her pale face, her teal-grey eyes, her mahogany brown hair. They were all unmistakably memorable. As Draco stared for longer, he got the feeling that had seen her before. But where?


Everywhere she went she left a depressing aura in the room, almost like a Dementor. People stared after her wondering who this girl was, they'd never see her in Hogwarts before. They would have remembered if she had.

Her pale face, her teal-grey eyes, her mahogany brown hair. They were all unmistakably memorable. As Draco stared for longer, they got the feeling that had seen her before. But where?

:-/\-:

As everyone settled into the Great Hall for the 'Welcome Back' feast, Headmistress McGonagall rose to give a speech.

"Dear students of Hogwarts, as we all know, during last year we all faced the horror of war. But now that it's all over, I think we should celebrate for those who cannot." Said solemnly, but with a hint of happiness for the fact that the war had finally come to an end.

Every person in the room was effected heavily by her words. They left the room in silence, that is until the famous 'Golden Trio' stood from there seats to clap the new Headmistress. Soon enough everyone was clapping so loudly that they barely herd McGonagall telling them to quiet down.

When the room was back to it's almost silent state and the new first years were sorted, the entrance to the Great Hall opened to show a young girl who appeared to be around the age of seventeen. She was wearing muggle clothing, a short black skirt with tiny white flowers on it, a dark grey t-shirt, light grey Converses and a black suede leather bag.

~~Stephanie's POV~~

I walked up to the front of the room and addressed Professor Snape in a hushed tone so only he may hear.

"Sev, what on earth am I doing here? I mean honestly! These people will despise my existence as soon as they know of my heritage."

"My dear, once you show them you're not like your family they with accept you." Replied Snape before turning to McGonagall to explain.

"Minerva, this is my Goddaughter, Stephanie." He said slowly as to show that she was not a threat.

"What I'd she doing here Severus?"

"I was just asking myself the same question." I mumbled quietly.

"She wants to apply for a job." Severus replied looking like he was prepared to defend his Goddaughter from anything from verbal to physical abuse.

"But she can't be more than seventeen!" McGonagall questioned looking toward the young girl with curious eyes.

"Actually Professor, I'm turned 23 last month." I corrected finally speaking so everyone in the Hall could hear her.

"That maybe be so, but that is still far too young to be qualified to teach."

"There you are wrong Professor, I'll have you know that I am fully qualified to teach any and every subject in Hogwarts as well as a few in Muggle schools as well." I stated on the edge of losing my patience and just leaving then and there.

"Well if that is the case I would like to see these qualifications?" McGonagall asked with her hand out.

"Of course Professor." I said as I handed over a letter from my bag with all of my qualifications signed by all the right people, but still trying to hide the irritated tone of my voice.

McGonagall ahh-ed a couple times before handing the letter back and stated, "So it seems that you were telling the truth. What job position were you looking to fill Miss…?" She stopped when she realised she didn't know my last name. 'This is where it goes down hill' I thought to myself.

"Riddle." I said trying not to sound too ashamed of it as the room collectively gasped.

"I think you need to leave." McGonagall replied looking at me with stern eyes.

Just as I was about to leave Severus spoke up. "Minerva, I think you need to reconsider. A second ago you were going to let her have almost any position she pleased and now because of her heritage you say she has to leave? I'm pretty sure that's called prejudice." He said all of this looking right into the eyes if the stern Headmistress. "On that note, she's never even met her parents. She grew up with me after her father cast her aside not wanting a female heir."

McGonagall's face was starting to look extremely guilty by the end of Severus's small speech. "I must apologise for my premature judgment, Miss Riddle."

"That is perfectly okay, Professor. I honestly expected a much worse reaction than simply asking me to leave." I replied politely.

"You may sit here for the feast, Miss Riddle," She said gesturing to an empty seat at the head table. "Afterwards we shall talk in my office."

:-/\-:

~~Harry's POV~~

"McGonagall's gone mad! I'm already regretting coming back to reptile seventh year." Shouted Ron after everyone had retired to their rooms.

"I know what you mean mate." Said Dean from his bed on the other side of the dorm.

"Maybe she won't be too bad. I mean, Snape did say that she's never met her parents." I said thinking about how the daughter of Voldemort was going to be teaching this year.

"I reckon she'll be just as bad as her father." Stated Ron, clearly not considering what I was saying.

"Maybe Harry's right," Said Neville, looking up from watering one of his plants. "Besides, we don't know who her mother is, maybe she was good enough to cancel out his evil."

"Yeah right, like Voldemort would want a kid with someone who wasn't evil." Said Seamus as he moved to turn out the lights.

:-/\-:

~~Stephanie's POV~~

After the feast in McGonagall's office, myself and McGonagall were discussing job options.

"Well, I could teach defence? It's always been my favourite subject." I asked with a pleading look on my face.

"Well," McGonagall started. "I don't see why not, but you'll have to ask Severus. He was going to teach potions and defence this year because of Professor Slughorns untimely retirement."

"I'm sure it'll be fine by him." I said with a bright grin on my face. I turned to leave after talking a bit about the requirements in the curriculum for each year level, and went to talk to Sev.

"Sev?" I called out after I reached the place that McGonagall said his office was.

"Yes, my dear?" He replied opening the door with his wand.

"McGonagall said I could teach defence!" I cheered. "If it's all good with you, of course."

"Yes, my dear. That is fine. Means I don't have to see the little devils more than I have to." Sev laughed, happy that I would be staying where he could keep an eye on me.

:-/\-:

~~Harry's POV~~

The next morning at breakfast I was sitting with Ron, Hermione and Ginny waiting to be given our time tables.

After we had received and read them Ron, Hermione and I looked at each other and groaned. Ginny just looked at us confused. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Defence with Slytherins today last period, with Miss Riddle." I replied.

"It's Professor actually." I heard a voice say from behind me. I turned to see 'Professor' Riddle standing behind me, wearing a black and white flannelette shirt with a black top underneath, blue denim shorts, red Converses and a bright smile on her face.

"Ah, sorry, Professor." I said quietly, feeling a little bit nervous and not really knowing what to expect.

"That's alright. Harry, isn't it?" She asked still smiling.

"Yes, Miss." I replied still feeling nervous about her being here.

"Well Harry, I expect you and your friends won't be late to class later." She said as she turned to walk to the head table.

"I certainly wasn't expecting that." Said Ron looking fairly puzzled.

"Me neither mate, me neither."

:-/\-:

~~Stephanie's POV~~

Classes went by fairly quickly and now I was headed back toward my class room for the last class of the day with the students redoing their seventh year but were put in different classes and were being called 'eighth years'.

"Stephanie!" I heard someone call out from behind me. When I turned I saw Sev walking down the corridor towards me.

"What is it Sev?" I asked.

"I just need to tell you to look out for that those 'eighth years'. They're trouble." He said with a sneer on his face.

"Don't worry Sev, I can handle it." I laughed. As I turned to continue walking I looked over my shoulder to say "I'll see you at dinner then Sev."

:-/\-:

I walked into the Class room to see that all my students were sitting at their desks talking to their friends that were close by.

"Alright class." I started surprising a few student because their talking masked my entrance. "Today, is less of a lesson, more of a clear up. So you get to ask questions about me, within reason, and I'll answer them, within reason. So, shall we start?"

A few students raised their hands, but one student in particular caught my eye. "Yes, you with the blonde hair. What's your name and your question?"

"My names Draco Malfoy an-" I didn't even let him finish before I cut him off.

"Oh My Merlin. Your Draco Malfoy?" I asked hoping that it was, but also that it wasn't.

"Yes, is there a problem Professor?" He asked looking slightly disdainful.

"No! Not at all. Please, continue."

"Well I was wondering, if it's not too personal, if you could tell us who your mother is. Because I'm pretty sure we all know who you father is." He asked with mild curiosity in his eyes.

"No, that's fine. People were bound to find out anyway." I started, feeling slightly funny that it should be him to ask that question. "My mother, is Narcissa Malfoy née Black." The room collectively gasped.

"Now Draco, before go saying that I'm a lier you must hear me out, okay?" Draco reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Our mother didn't cheat with my father, in fact it was almost the complete opposite. You see, my father wanted an heir and there were many pureblooded women lined up to help him with that, but he wanted a powerful heir so he chose our mother. This was mainly because she was the only Black female left that wasn't a blood traitor or crazy, but when he found that I was a female myself he didn't want me anymore, claimed it was mothers fault and sent her back to your father. And also sent me to live with Severus where I went to a Muggle school and was tutored by him before and after school." I said, the whole time I was watching Draco, my half brother, take in all this new information.

"So, any other questions?" I asked back to my normal cheery state. People slowly began to raise their hands once again. "Umm, how about you, Harry? Oh, I never got your last name."

"Harry Potter, Professor." He said with in expression on his face which I could only called bemusement.

I smiled at him saying, "Ahh, Sev has said a lot about you." I laughed lightly. What's your question, Harry?"

"Well, Professor Snape said something yesterday about you never having met your parents is that true?" Harry asked timidly.

Just as she was about to answer she heard a red-haired kid whispering to his friend next to him. "I bet she's just like her dad, evil and cruel."

I could feel my eyes turning red with rage, a side effect of being Voldemorts daughter. "You dare compere me to my father?" I yelled, becoming more angry by the second. "The father I have never met, only heard about the cruel things he has done! I think you need to reconsider talking about me behind my back because whilst I might not be like him, I did inherit his and my mothers power. What is your name?"

"R-Ro-Ron Weasley, Professor." He looked truly terrified, like his worst nightmare had come true.

"Well, Mr. Weasley, I suppose you will be having detention with me all week. Then maybe you'll find out just how cruel I can be." I said coolly and I could feel my eyes turning back to their normal teal-grey. "Class dismissed."

"But Professor, class only just started." Said a girl with bushy brown hair. I think McGonagall mentioned her, Hermione Granger, I think.

"Granger is it?" I asked smiling slightly and continuing at her nod. "Well Miss Granger, I've heard a whole lot about you, from McGonagall and Severus. I was told that you're very studious and well behaved from one and that you're an insufferable know-it-all from the other. Please, if you want to stay on my good side, keep me think it's the former not the latter." She seemed a bit taken aback by this statement but at the moment I didn't really care. "Class dismissed."

:-/\-:

Copy bellow links to see what Stephanie was wearing at different times (in chronological order):

pin/118641771408070420/

pin/33706697185550335/


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